What Can You Accomplish in 30 Days? (Free Worksheets!)
Over the past year, Kelly has been picking books from the Writer’s Digest list that she finds most helpful. Here’s her very last installment for us! Kelly’s thoughts on Book…
Over the past year, Kelly has been picking books from the Writer's Digest list that she finds most helpful. Here's her very last installment for us!
Kelly's thoughts on Book in a Month:
I get so many proposals from people who want to do books that explore
the fear and self-doubt associated with writing and creativity. And,
while it’s true that there’s a certain amount of fear associated with
any large undertaking, I remain absolutely unconvinced that dwelling on
it or snuggling up with it is all that helpful to the creative process.
So, when people ask me what I love most about Book in a Month by Victoria Schmidt,
I tell them the truth: It’s a light-hearted yet thorough guide to novel
writing that helps you stay goal-oriented and upbeat about your writing
progress.
The book shows you how to:
- Set realistic goals and monitor your progress
- Select a story topic that will continue to inspire you throughout the writing process
- Quickly outline your entire story so that you have a clear idea of
how your plot and characters are going to develop before you start
writing - Draft each act of your story by focusing on specific turning points
- Keep track of the areas you want to revise without losing your momentum in the middle of your story
- Relax and have fun—you are, after all, doing something you love
The heart of this book, though, is dedicated to its exclusive 30-day novel writing system. Comprehensive instruction and detailed interactive worksheets (click here to download PDFs) guide you through the whole process from that first story summary to that memorable closing line.
Writing a book is hard work, and you certainly may run into a few rough
patches from time to time, but the trick is to keep moving. Here are 4 tips on making time to write from the book.
Jane Friedman is a full-time entrepreneur (since 2014) and has 20 years of experience in the publishing industry. She is the co-founder of The Hot Sheet, the essential publishing industry newsletter for authors, and is the former publisher of Writer’s Digest. In addition to being a columnist with Publishers Weekly and a professor with The Great Courses, Jane maintains an award-winning blog for writers at JaneFriedman.com. Jane’s newest book is The Business of Being a Writer (University of Chicago Press, 2018).
